Medon serriae, Assing, 2007

Assing, V., 2007, A revision of Western Palaearctic Medon. V. A new species from Iran and additional records (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae, Paederinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 39 (1), pp. 23-32 : 30

Medon serriae nov.sp. ( Figs 1-8 , Map 2 )

H o l o t y p e: Iran, Hormozgan Province, 6 km NE Tall-e Gerdu, 880 m (Bakhun Mts), N 27°50'05", E 056°28'24", 19.04.2006, lg. Frisch & Serri / Holotypus Medon serriae sp.n. det. V. Assing 2007 (MNHUB).

D e s c r i p t i o n: 5.5 mm. Coloration: Head blackish; pronotum castaneous brown; elytra reddish brown; abdomen blackish brown, with the apex (segments VII and following) reddish brown; legs reddish brown; antenna brown.

Head approximately 1.05 times as long as wide; eyes moderately large ( Fig. 2 ) and weakly projecting from lateral outline of head, slightly more than half the length of postocular region in dorsal view; integument matt; puncturation very dense, moderately coarse, shallow, and areolate, in central dorsal area mostly well-defined, in lateral areas partly confluent; interstices mostly reduced to very narrow ridges ( Fig. 1 ).

Pronotum approximately as wide as long and 0.93 times as wide as head ( Fig. 1 ); puncturation very fine, very dense, and well-defined; midline with narrow impunctate area not reaching anterior and posterior margins; interstices without microsculpture ( Fig. 3 ).

Elytra large, 1.25 times as wide and at suture 1.2 times as long as pronotum; surface matt; puncturation very fine, very dense, and weakly defined. Hind wings evidently fully developed. Legs, antennae, and abdomen of similar morphology as in other species of the M. fusculus group.

: posterior excavation of sternite VII deep and of almost semicircular (not trapezoid) shape, on either side with a cluster of long thin setae and with a lateral comb of 7-9 palisade setae ( Fig. 4 ); posterior excision of sternite VIII deep and of semicircular shape ( Fig. 5 ); aedeagus with apex of distinctive shape, in lateral view acute and in ventral view almost truncate ( Figs 6-8 ).

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: Based on the morphology of the aedeagus, as well as on the synapomorphic shape and chaetotaxy of the male sternite VII, the new species is doubtlessly a member of the M. fusculus group. From other representatives of this group, M. serriae is distinguished especially by the shape of the aedeagus, from most species also by the following character combination: puncturation of the pronotum very fine and dense, elytra long and large, and posterior excision of the male sternite VII of almost semicircular shape. For illustrations of the male primary and secondary sexual characters of other species of the M. fusculus group see ASSING (2004a, 2005, 2006).

E t y m o l o g y: The species is dedicated to Sayeh Serri, curator of the Coleoptera collection at the Hayk Mirzayans Insect Museum in Tehran, one of the collectors of the holotype and of additional Medon material from Iran.

D i s t r i b u t i o n a n d b i o n o m i c s: The type locality is situated in Hormozgan province, southern Iran ( Map 2 ), at an altitude of 880 m. According to FRISCH (pers. comm.), the holotype was collected on a sandy river bank with scattered tamarisk vegetation.

Figures

Map 2: Distributions of Medon paradisiacus ASSING (filled circles), M. frischi ASSING (open circles), and M. serriae sp.nov. (square) in Azerbaijan and Iran.

Figs 1-8: Medon serriae nov.sp.: (1) forebody; (2) head in lateral view; (3) pronotum; (4) male sternite VII; (5) male sternite VIII; (6-7) aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view; (8) apical part of aedeagus in ventral view. Scale bars: 1: 1.0 mm; 2-3: 0.5 mm; 4-7: 0.2 mm; 8: 0.1 mm.